Crest beats Kings Mountain in tennis battle

Tuesday

KINGS MOUNTAIN — The Crest High girls tennis team beat county rival Kings Mountain 8-1 on Tuesday night to move closer to a playoff spot.

But the score only told part of the story of a battle that stretched nearly three and a half hours at the Mountaineer courts.

Lady Charger sophomore Taylor Coles won a fierce three-set match against Kayla Penner in a No. 4 singles contest that spanned two and a half hours. Coles rolled to a 6-1 first-set triumph before Penner won a tight 7-5 second set.

Coles finished strong for a 6-2 third-set victory when her well-placed shot bounced twice on the opposite side of the net to clinch her match.

“It’s a struggle,” said Coles of her match’s length. “But you just have to come back out strong and determined that you’re going to get another win for your team and don’t give up.”

Crest’s Ashton Amos defeated Hannah Christenbury 6-2, 7-5 in a match that lasted about two hours.

Lauren Scism, Jordyn Powell, Morgan Parris and Torri B. Harrington joined Coles and Amos in a sweep of singles matches by the Chargers.

The Scism-Powell and Morgan Parris-Chloe Parris doubles pairings also won for Crest, while Katie Holland and Christenbury claimed a victory at No. 2 doubles for Kings Mountain.

“We did what we needed to do to get ready for South Point,” Crest coach Joe Scism said. “I like our chances and where we are.”

Coming off a third win this season against Kings Mountain, the Chargers (10-1, 4-1 Big South 3A) host South Point on Thursday with the chance to wrap up a playoff berth. The Mountaineers (5-7, 2-3) will visit Forestview the same day.

The Big South 3A Conference tournament is next Wednesday and Thursday at Forestview.